LIVE UNITED

What do YOU aspire for the New River Valley? Throughout our community there are as many different hopes, dreams, and aspirations
for the NRV as there are people who live here! United Way of Montgomery, Radford and Floyd has taken a sampling of those ideas, and
put together a series of videos highlighting local businesses and individuals who have high hopes for this community.

We hope that by joining together and sharing our aspirations, we will become a platform to make these dreams a reality. We want
to invite everyone in the New River Valley to post a photo of themselves with their aspiration for our community on their Facebook,
Instagram and Twitter pages. Then link your photo to @unitedwaynrv and use the #AspireNRV. By knowing what our neighbors care about,
we are better equipped to accomplish those tasks together.

Our Focus is Strengthening the Local Community

United Way of Montgomery, Radford & Floyd’s community building efforts are focused on generating and
providing our community with resources to build support for local human needs. This includes:

Providing financial, technical and administrative support to local charities in the New River Valley

Providing Volunteer Solutions, an online volunteer and donation-matching system to improve access to volunteer opportunities for individuals and access to quality volunteers for organizations and charities

Assisting with community initiatives such as 2-1-1 Virginia and VT Engage

Also, UWMRF's volunteer-matching and donation-matching database, Volunteer Solutions, helps connect NRV residents looking to help or looking for help. Volunteer Solutions enables individuals to post profiles, listing the types of volunteer projects they would like. And the program allows organizations to post projects that they need help for. Ditto for items that organizations need to have donated, or that businesses have to donate.
Click on the "Volunteer" link on the right side of the page to check it out!

Top 7 Reasons to Invest in Your Local Community

7. Your gift stays in this community

Gifts to our United Way are invested in four impact areas among LOCAL health & human service agencies & programs. Your donation stays in this community unless you specifically designate it to go elsewhere.

6. Your United Way is an independent, local organization

United Way of Montgomery, Radford & Floyd (UWMRF), your United Way, is a local, independently incorporated non- profit organization governed by people from our community who volunteer to serve on the Board of Directors and Community Investment, Communications, Campaign and other teams.

5. It’s easy to give to your local United Way

United Way is the only local charity to whom you can donate through payroll deduction. Giving $1 per week that can help your whole community is easier than writing a check for $52 at one time.

4. Your local United Way is more than a fundraiser

UWMRF provides community support in multiple ways. UWMRF coordinates Gifts-in-Kind donations from national companies such as Target; Bed, Bath & Beyond; and Dell. UWMRF coordinates Federal Emergency Food & Shelter funds. UWRMF operates an online local volunteer and product donation matching system - Volunteer Solutions (with grant funding from the Town of Blacksburg). In the aftermath of the tragedy at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, UWMRF developed the United in Caring Fund - the only fund established to provide support for community-wide recovery efforts as well as aid to victims & families. UWMRF then partnered with Virginia Tech in the VT Engage initiative, and continues to work closely with the university on volunteer efforts. UWMRF is involved in numerous human service community-wide efforts such as a free prescription medication discount card program and the annual National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive for the New River Valley. And UWMRF serves as a local source of information for local people who need help or who want to help.

3. Your local United Way is efficient and innovative

So your gift has the greatest impact, we continuously explore alternatives and seek new ways to solve problems in the New River Valley. UWMRF puts your money where you intend it to go by keeping our overhead (management & fundraising expenses) low at 15.4%. The national acceptable standard for charity overhead is 35%.

2. Our Community needs your help

The natural beauty & prosperity of the NRV often masks real needs in our community. 19% of residents in the NRV live at or below the poverty line ($21,200 a year for a family of four). Approximately 20% of Southwest Virginia residents are without health insurance. Last year, more than 3,400 local women and children sought support from domestic and/or sexual violence. And an estimated 13,000 people in our area are unable to read at a fourth-grade level - they can’t read a prescription bottle or a road map.

1. Your local United Way gets results

UWMRF strives to build our local community by helping provide solutions to our community’s problems. UWMRF helps provide access to physical and mental health care, supports families in crisis and emergency situations, assists seniors and persons with disabilities and prepares children for successful and brighter futures.